Turkish forces 'neutralize' 5 terrorists in Iraq

The Turkish air force "neutralized" five terrorists in northern Iraq as they plotted an attack, the General Staff said in a statement on Tuesday.

Four caves used by terrorists as shelters were also destroyed in the Zap region.

The Turkish authorities often use the word "neutralized" in their statements to imply that the terrorists in question were either killed or captured.

The PKK is listed as a terrorist organization in Turkey, the U.S. and the EU. In more than three decades of violence against Turkey, more than 40,000 people have been killed.

Since the group resumed its armed campaign in July 2015, more than 1,200 people, including security force personnel and civilians, have lost their lives.